Set 1,853 ft (565 m) above the Aegean Sea, this fortress-like monastery is one of the most striking sights on Santorini and a highlight of many driving tours and shore excursions, along with Red Beach, the Minoan ruins at Akrotiri, Oia, and the village of Megalochori. Join a group tour via minivan or opt for a more flexible private tour with a customizable itinerary.
The monastery courtyard and gardens are a popular spot to watch Santorini’s fabled sunsets, and many sunset tours on the island make a stop here to take in the view. Alternatively, wine lovers can opt for a sightseeing tour that includes a wine tasting at an island cellar, or there are photo tours of the most scenic spots on the island for photography buffs that stop to capture the view from the monastery.
The Monastery of Profitis Ilias is located high in the mountains on the south side of Santorini, and is difficult to reach with public transportation. Drive or join a tour or shore excursion that includes transportation up the extremely winding road to the mountaintop outpost.
The high-altitude monastery offers a cool and quiet refuge during the hottest and most crowded summer months. Known for its spectacular vantage point at sunset, the monastery is best visited in the late afternoon as the sun begins to dip beneath the Mediterranean Sea.
This historic monastery was initially dedicated to the prophet Elijah and enjoyed great wealth in the 17th and 18th centuries; it also functioned as a secret school of Greek culture during the dark days of Turkish occupation. Its power and wealth began to decline in the mid-19th century and the complex was badly damaged by the earthquake in 1956. Today Profitis Ilias is successful once more; its 3-domed church has become a museum hosting an exceptional and significant collection of icons, hand-printed antique books and bibles, wrought-iron artwork, wooden carvings, and elaborately embroidered clerics’ robes. The resident monks put on displays of traditional carpentry, shoemaking, cooking, and winemaking, as well.
